This invention relates to centrifuge rotor apparatus. More particularly, the invention provides centrifuge rotor apparatus which mounts a centrifuge carrier secure against accidental dislodgement and which distributes centrifugally-generated forces to minimize stress concentrations. The invention provides improvements in centrifuge safety and economy.
A centrifuge commonly has a driven vertical shaft which carries a centrifuge rotor assembly. The assembly has a rotor fastened on the shaft for rotation therewith. The rotor supports carriers for containing or otherwise supporting the material and articles to be centrifuged. The centrifuge carriers commonly are readily removable and replaceable to facilitate cleaning and loading, as well as interchange for centrifuging different materials and articles. The centrifuge carrier can be a single structure that forms a specimen receptacle or other holder and that pivotally attaches to the rotor. An alternative construction employs a trunion device that pivotally attaches to the rotor and that supports a removable and replaceable specimen holder. With either construction, the pivotal attachment of the carrier to the rotor conventionally is by way of trunion pins that seat in vertical slots. However, a construction in which the slots recess the rotor suffers from undesirable stress concentrations in the slot-forming rotor structure. A construction in which trunion pins project from the rotor suffers from the added circumferential space required on the carriers for forming the pin-receiving slots. Further, many forms of either construction suffer from the possibility of accidental dislodgement of the trunion pins from the slots; for example, during an abrupt change in rotor speed. Such accidental dislodgement and the aforesaid stress concentrations are potentially of significant danger in a centrifuge, inasmuch as the rotor assembly typically rotates at speeds between several thousand revolutions per minute to tens of thousands of revolutions per minute. Moreover, additional material for providing safe levels of strength, and additional radial size to accommodate the added structure, all add to the cost and size of a centrifuge and accordingly are undesirable.
An object of this invention therefore is to provide centrifuge rotor apparatus which mounts centrifuge carriers for pivotal rotation and for ready removal and replacement, but with high security against accidental dislodgement and, further, with a high distribution of centrifugally-generated stresses. Another object of the invention is to provide centrifuge rotor apparatus of the above character which is relatively compact in size.
It is also an object of the invention that the rotor apparatus be well suited for relatively low cost manufacture.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.